By Michael Letendre 
 

BRISTOL – The Bristol Eastern baseball squad got a supreme pitching effort from Mike Roalf against Northwest Catholic on Friday afternoon. 

And the Lancers did just enough offensively on the flip side to finally get back to the pay window. 

Roalf threw a one run, three-hit gem over six innings of work as Eastern stopped Northwest via a 2-1 triumph from Muzzy Field in Bristol. 

Eastern improved to 3-6 overall while Northwest fell to 3-8.

Roalf was sharp throughout, posting six strikeouts and while he walked five batters, none of those baserunners were able to score. 

“I got ahead with my fastball and tried the slider,” said Roalf. “Coach [Steve Gaudet] called the pitches [and] he knows what he’s doing. I’m pretty confident with it.” 

Ryan Maglio came in to throw for Roalf in the seventh, earning the save over a one-hit effort. 

The Lions went 4-of-24 overall from the plate, batting a paltry .167 over the seven innings of play.

The contest was decided in the fourth frame when Eastern’s Jose Feliciano attempted to swing at a pitch from Johan Balcerzak (complete game, four hits, seven strikeouts). 

But NWC catcher Sean Tessman appeared to touch the bat of Feliciano with his mitt and Eastern head coach asked for an interference call. 

After a meeting by the officials down at first base, the call was granted – despite the protest from Northwest coach Cory Carlson – and Feliciano was awarded first base. 

And then with runners on the corners, Caleb Molinsky smacked out a single to score Feliciano as the game-winning tally gave the Kingstreeters a 2-1 edge. 

“That was huge,” said Gaudet of the catcher’s interference. “We’ve had opportunities in previous games where those little things, we don’t capitalize on. We would leave [runners] stranded but today, we got a couple breaks.” 

“At the end of the game, I told [the players] in the huddle, it’s pitching and defense. [On the scoreboard], don’t look at the score, don’t look at the hits, look at the last column. There weren’t any errors.” 

The Lions had chances throughout but Eastern’s defense was up to the challenge.

Northwest’s James Berry (3-for-4, RBI) smacked a one-out base hit to right to start the first inning, but Tristen Hong lined out to Gabe White at second base and John Flammini grounded out to Molinsky at shortstop as the showdown was quickly underway. 

Eastern attacked Balcerzak from the start as the chucker hit White, the leadoff batter, with a pitch and moved over to second via a steal. 

Ben D’Amato earned a one walk and then Maglio smoked a two-base hit over the centerfielder’s head, scoring White, to make it a 1-0 game in the Lancers’ favor. 

Roalf and the defense went 1-2-3 in the second stanza while Molinsky was plunked by a pitch with one away in the bottom of the tilt but never got past second base. 

In the third inning, the Lions’ ninth hitter, Landon Alicea, slapped a single down the third base line with one away. 

He stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and Ethan Porter drew a base-on-balls to put men on the corners. 

Porter swiped second and Berry made it 2-for-2 as he dropped a base hit into right for an RBI tally to make it a 1-1 game. 

Eastern’s Connor Cyr started the third frame with a grounder that died in the thick grass in front of third base, running out an infield hit, but was eventually caught stealing to keep it a 1-1 affair. 

Feliciano opened the bottom of the fourth getting on base via the catcher’s interference and Isaac Roberge bounded a ball off Balcerzak on the mound for an infield hit to put two on. 

Rio Fernandez’s fly-out to right advanced Feliciano to third and he scored on a one-hopper by Molinsky to right, giving the Kingstreeters a 2-1 push through four frames. 

Northwest’s Danny Burgeson worked a walk to open the fifth inning, but the team’s small ball plans went awry when Alicea’s bunt was popped up to a hustling Maglio at third base for the first out. 

“We’ve been working a lot with defense,” said Roalf. “We’ve spent the time in practice to get it done and [the result is] we win a ball game.” 

Porter and Hong eventually drew walks as the bases were juiced. 

But Flammini lined out to Maglio to strand all three runners as Eastern’s 2-1 edge remained intact. 

Balcerzak got into a grove, fanning five straight – including the side in the fifth – but the Lions still trailed 2-1 going into the sixth inning. 

Roalf was tough as well, scooping up his fifth K of the game but DH Ryan Micari earned a walk with two away in the sixth. 

Micari stole second but Roalf struck out Burgeson for the second time that afternoon to preserve the 2-1 lead as he nearly reached the pitch limit. 

“We haven’t had that type of performance that Mikey had today,” said Gaudet of Roalf. “But he’s capable and he was outstanding. And Maglio coming in at the end, he was outstanding. And we made plays behind them.” 

To end Eastern’s at-bats, Balcerzak retired eight straight, but the Lions were down to their final three outs in the top of the seventh. 

With Maglio in to throw the seventh, he generated two quick outs before Berry nabbed his third single of the game to put the tying run on.

But Eastern centerfielder Kyle Babin tracked down a Hong offering for the final out as Eastern earned a huge 2-1 win. 

“This was a great team win that we needed badly,” said Gaudet. 

Bristol Eastern Baseball – CCC Interdivisional Action 

BRISTOL EASTERN 2, NORTHWEST CATHOLIC 1 

from Muzzy Field, Bristol   

Northwest Catholic (3-8)       001 000 0 – 1 4 1 

Bristol Eastern (3-6)        100 100 0 – 2 4 0 
Battery: Northwest Catholic – Jonah Balcerzak & Sean Tessman; Bristol Eastern – Mike Roalf, Ryan Maglio (7) & Rio Fernandez. 

WP: Mike Roalf (Bristol Eastern); LP: Jonah Balcerzak (Northwest Catholic); Save – Ryan Maglio. 

Northwest Catholic Batting   

2B – None 

3B – None   

HR – None   

Bristol Eastern Batting   

2B – Ryan Maglio   

3B – None   

HR – None    

Records: Bristol Eastern 3-6 overall; Northwest Catholic overall 3-8. 

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